Blue Jays hammer Sox, 11-5

Tuesday

Call it Fall Training, or whatever, but Boston’s lack of intensity in its last four games is quite apparent, for what that’s worth.

Which is probably nothing.

The Sox dropped their fourth in a row last night, losing to the Blue Jays, 11-5, in a game ended prematurely by rain in the seventh inning. Josh Beckett, who was supposed to start for Boston, had muscle spasms in his back, so he was replaced by rookie Michael Bowden on the mound. That was much to the delight of the Blue Jays, who have been hot of late.

They pounded Bowden for seven runs in three innings, then reliever Hunter Jones for four runs in 1-2/3 innings to put it away early.

“We were swinging the bats,” manager Terry Francona said, “and it looked like we were gonna keep on swinging the bats, but with the rain coming and it being a bullpen night, we were in a position we didn’t want to be in.”

The loss meant that the Red Sox could not clinch the wild-card playoff berth, no matter what the Rangers did in their game in Anaheim. The assumption is that Boston will do that, later if not sooner.

The Angels defeated the Rangers late last night in Anaheim, clinching the AL West for the Angels and reducing the Red Sox’ magic number for a Division Series berth to one. So, entering tonight’s action, Boston is assured of at least a playoff game to enter the postseason.

But how significant is it that the Sox are nose-diving as the playoffs approach?

In 1986, Boston clinched the AL East title early, then lost five of its final six regular-season games. The Sox dropped their last four, all to the Yankees, and all at Fenway Park, and were outscored, 21-5, in doing so.

That team wound up going to the seventh game of the World Series.

The 2000 Yankees were in complete control of the AL East well into September, then finished up by going 3-15 in their last 18 games. There was no carryover from that. New York won the World Series, taking 11 of the 16 games it played in the postseason.

Neither Bowden nor Jones will be involved in any Red Sox playoff games in 2009. After his performance last night, Bowden’s ERA is 10.80, and he has been reached for 20 hits and 16 runs in 13-1/3 innings. Jones’ ERA is 10.03. He has given up 16 hits and 13 runs in 11-2/3 innings.

Indeed, the Boston offense did some damage, most of it against Jays starter Scott Richmond. The Sox hit three home runs — two by Kevin Youkilis and yet another by the resurgent David Ortiz, who smashed one several rows deep into the bleachers behind the bullpens in the sixth inning.

In his last six games, Ortiz is 8 for 21 (.381) with 11 RBIs and four home runs. Since the start of June, he has played in 99 games and is batting .265 with 77 RBIs and 27 home runs. His average is up to .238, the highest it has been since the second game of the season when he was 2 for 6 (.333).

Bowden had to make the start on short notice and had worked 2-1/3 innings of relief in New York on Friday, but did not try to duck his responsibility for what happened in the early innings.

“It’s always tough, but it’s inexcusable,” he said. “They could have told me at 7:05, and I should have been able to put forth a better effort than I did. It’s just a terrible feeling, going out there and letting the team down and giving up that many runs so early in the game.”

The Blue Jays got it going two batters into the night when Aaron Hill drilled his 35th homer of the season way over the left field wall. Before Toronto was finished, Rod Barajas and Jose Bautista had also put balls over the Green Monster.

The Jays had 14 hits in seven innings, five for extra bases. Lyle Overbay continued to torment Red Sox pitching and was 3 for 4. Bautista, Edwin Encarnacion and Barajas had two hits each.

Boston batters had seven hits, two each by Youkilis and Ortiz. Youkilis got his average up to .305 as he strives for a second straight .300-plus season. Dustin Pedroia was 1 for 4 with a double, his 47th, and J.D. Drew also had a double, his 30th. Drew is batting .272, and that is the highest his average has been since May 4, when he finished the day hitting .273.

He could have finished last night hitting .732, and it wouldn’t have been enough the way Boston’s emergency room pitchers threw the ball.

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